The largest advantage your business has over a mega-conglomerate is your ability to form a connection to your local community. Build online communities around your small business and stay social to keep your business in the hearts and minds of residents.

If you don't have time to keep your business listing updated, add pictures, and respond to reviews, it's really important to find someone who does!

December 3, 2016 |

The last time you asked Google where the nearest coffee shop was, a handy map popped up with several listings for you to choose from. But did you know you weren’t actually seeing ALL of the coffee shops nearby? Make sure YOUR Google My Business Listing comes up when folks are searching for the type of work you do!

Once your WordPress site is set up and rolling, the job isn’t done. Keeping a website current and safe from intruders requires web masters to continue to update WordPress. It may seem like extra work – after all your website currently does what you need it to, but applying updates is vital to keeping you […]

Will advertisers blow up your Facebook with great stuff or a stinking heap of garbage? Grab a seat and some popcorn; things are about to get interesting.

April 8, 2016 |

Facebook has had a longstanding rule restricting branded content, but today, announced an about–face on that position. This change might not mean a hill of beans to some businesses out there, but for some publishers, influencers, celebrities and brands, it means a whole new set of opportunities to push out photos, videos, live videos – […]

Pictures of food, gardens, babies, cats, dogs, cool quotes. What do all these things have in common? They are the different and sometimes unrelated pieces of information that sum up what content marketing can be. As much as they all seem unique and personal, it’s quite possible to weave these kinds of fun elements together […]

Have you heard the buzz around “big data” lately? If the concept of using data for your business seems daunting, you’re not alone. Many small business owners think that collecting and using large amounts of information is time consuming, costly and difficult. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many free tools […]

A recent article on ProBlogger discussed the power of events to create meaningful, usable content. It said, “Events are great opportunities to generate leads and close deals. However, if you think of them purely as sales-focused events, you could be missing out on blog and video content that could strengthen your brand and help your […]

New Algorithms Change the Content Tide If you’re preparing for a turbo-charged year, there are some very important items to keep in mind when it comes to marketing. Last week, I talked about the importance that Google places on mobile-friendly websites. In 2014, the search engine giant also implemented some significant algorithm updates. They’re striving […]

According to this Entrepreneur article, there are “Four Ms of Social Media That All Marketers Should Master.” The modern science of social media communication is complex, and each message posted by a company needs to have clout. Once these four Ms are mastered, however, social media marketing becomes a tactical, ingenious art. The first M […]

“The future of marketing, it would seem, is visual,” a Fast Company piece declared. Our digital world has been evolving more visually with every new app and online domain developed. This evolution clearly shows that we are optically-inclined creatures, drawn to adorable, enticing pictures as well as clever, entertaining videos. The article continues: “Consumers easily […]

Customer service is essential for the survival of any business. This is even more true of small businesses and start-ups as loyal customer base is needed both to grow and to succeed. Economically speaking, you want your customers to return to your business again and again because it ensures that your business will continue to […]

Stress is a fact of life. It occurs when a certain situation puts a large amount of pressure on an individual’s life. Sometimes, the amount of stress that is put upon a person can seem inescapable, which can bring about feelings of discouragement and defeat. In fact, many people try to avoid stressful situations at […]

We have the same 24 hours that everyone else has. We blame the lack of time, but I really blame the lack of initiative, the lack of focus, and the overabundance of excuses for the reasons that we don’t get what we really want and deserve. Commit yourself to changing that.

The most well-intentioned plans, the most heart-felt desires – they’re great. That’s the fuel that can help things get done. But that passion can also be blindingly detrimental, strangling the life from an otherwise excellent venture or project.